Comments

1
I really don't understand what the deal is with One Reel. I lived in Seattle 2002-2007 and all the time I lived there they seemed to operate in crisis mode. It seems like their entire existence is in crisis mode. What is the problem? Bumbershoot tickets are more expensive than ever (I paid $25 when I lived there and now they're, what, $90 a day if aren't buying them at the door? And that's the cheapest price? Continuing to allow an organization that has proven it operates only in crisis mode, constantly unable to finance it's programming, is insanity. As a friend recently said, it's sickening how expensive Bumbershoot is now - it is completely elitist. As far as Bumbershoot is concerned One Reel's continued incompetence is to blame. Yeah they manage every time, by the skin of their teeth, to pull off some great programming, but at what cost?
2
@1 Agree completely!. Tickets are way over-priced and keep a lot of people away from the festival. Back in the day, it used to be an affordable, laid-back and fun way to spend your Labor Day weekend. Like housing in Seattle, the festival is something that only few can afford.
3
Bumbershoot: Fewer days, fewer stages, shorter hours, no dance, less art, all for more money. What's wrong with this picture?
4
No way I am spending $200 for a wristband I have to wear for three days straight. Fuck that.
6
You Coachella'ed our Bumbershoot.
7
One theory: back in The Good Old Days, acts viewed concerts as a way to promote CD sales. Now, there's no CD sales, so performance fees are up. Way up. Hence, higher ticket prices.

Another theory: Bumbershoot organization is not very good.

The two theories are not mutually exclusive.
9
Yeah the prices this year are starting to kind of defy belief. I was going to cough up the $99 because there was a band I really wanted to see scheduled to do their only Seattle show there. Kind of fortuitously they cancelled their tour. $99 to see a few bands, when it is likely you only care at all about seeing 3 or fewer of them? I'd say no wonder why it is not selling well. Maybe if they can't balance the books they need to scale way, or fold up shop.
10
Bumbershoot is for people watching and legs walking, not concert going and chair sitting.
11
Blow it up, start from scratch. Do all local bands and make it free.
12
How much of a ticket this year is going to TheWeeknd so that there is one big hot act on stage? Every year features a couple of big name acts that are overpaid and too "hot" for the space, with fans disappointed when they can't see the one act they came for. They give lackluster jetlagged performances because the flew in from the rest of their tour for one show. Guaranteed TheWeeknd will be too drunk and drugged to even try.

Labor Day weekend in Seattle is too late and too far in the summer schedule from the other big festivals. Most big acts can't play in Seattle until summer's over anyways due to restrictions from other festivals. Sasquatch takes the middle tier bands. Even so, 10 years ago Bumbershoot could add little known bands that were on the west coast for late summer punk, psych or Latin music fests in LA and SF. Those are gone now too.

We need a separate festival for everything except pop music or cancel all the "mainstage acts". The ridiculous prices aren't paying for local comedians, speakers, theater or bands. Is the festival even paying enough to local performers and artists to cover their costs of participating?
13
I've went to Bumbershoot for several years running. I didn't go last year because it had probably the worst line-up I've seen in my six year history of going.

This year, the AEG infusion showed that it is helping. This is perhaps the best line-up I have seen at Bumbershoot since 2010 (at least in music, I can't vouch for movies or comedies, etc., that's a whole other sotry.

Yes, the ticket prices are more expensive, but you don't get quality acts unless you pay the money to bring them in the first place, and that means lifting up ticket prices a bit. Also, they did offer a payment plan this year to compensate for the higher prices. If you couldn't afford the $50 a month for the three day pass payment plan, you probably couldn't afford to go in the first place, so stop whining.

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